APTA Members Appointed to CDC Pediatric TBI Guideline Workgroup

APTA members Anne Mucha, PT, DPT, MS, NCS, and John DeWitt PT, DPT, SCS, ATC, have been appointed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) newly created Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain (TBI) Injury Guideline Workgroup. Mucha and Dewitt will represent the role of physical therapists in concussion management.

The workgroup, housed in CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, was established as a component of the Concussion Treatment and Care Tools (ConTACT) Act, legislation that was not passed into law but was supported by APTA in past congressional sessions. Comprising leading experts in the field of TBI, the workgroup will create a clinical guideline for use in physician's offices and emergency departments. A general overview of the 18- 24-month timeline for completion and a list of workgroup members are available on CDC's website.

Mucha and DeWitt served on APTA's Concussion Workgroup established in 2010 to develop model language for APTA chapters to use in advocating for the involvement of physical therapists as part of the health care team responsible for management of concussion in student athletes. The workgroup also developed language for a House of Delegates position that was adopted in 2011 and updated in 2012.

Last month, Mucha took part in APTA's "Head in the Game" podcast series on concussion in sports. The multiday series featured interviews with experts in the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of sports concussions. Mucha discussed some of the ways athletes are tested for concussions and rehabilitated, both to return to the playing field and for the benefit of long-term health.

Find out more about the association's policy efforts in concussion management on APTA's Concussion Management Legislation webpage and in this Heard on the Hill podcast.

Comments

Thank you for your efforts.
In treating many patients for vestibular disorders, and individualizing care, i am wondering if any PTs have develop a specific "protocol" to follow regarding post sport concussion care?
If so, our team would be interested in a contact.